Please note that as of 03/10/2008 this record was updated to include an extension to the anticipated end date, and an increase to the target number of participants. The initial anticipated end date of this trial was 30/09/2008 and the initial target number of participants was 20.

As of 08/07/2009 this record was further updated to indicate that it is now multicentre, with one further centre in the UK, and the anticipated end date of this trial was thus extended from 30/06/2009 to 30/09/2009.

Ethics approval

Barking and Havering Local Research Ethics Committee gave approval on the 12th November 2007 (provisionally granted subject to minor amendments) (ref: 07/H0702/41). Full ethics approval granted on the 14th December 2007. Amendment approved 19th September 2008.

Study design

Primary study design

Secondary study design

Randomised controlled trial

Trial setting

Hospitals

Trial type

Treatment

Patient information sheet

Condition

Enteral tube feeding and fructo-oligosaccharides supplementation

Intervention

Twenty patients from the ICU who will be starting ETF with the routine fibre formula will be recruited. Ten patients will be randomly assigned to receive an additional 7 g of FOS per day while the other ten patients will receive 7 g of an identically packaged carbohydrate/maltodextrose (placebo) for 14 days. Giving the patient the additional 7 g of FOS or maltodextrose will start following the collection of first stool sample after enrolment to the ETF study.

Randomisation will be conducted using the EPISTAT program. The principal investigator will be kept blinded to whether the patient is receiving the additional 7 g of FOS or the additional 7 g of maltodextrose. A copy of the blinding code will be kept by the lead research nurse on ICU in the unlikely event that they need to unblind the study.

The 7 g of FOS or the identically packaged inactive carbohydrate will be dissolved in 50 ml of sterile water and flushed via the feeding tube daily by the nurse in charge. Water flushes to ETF patients are part of routine clinical care in the intensive care unit. The principal investigator will assist the nurse in charge in ensuring patients receive the correct additional carbohydrate and this will be monitored daily.

Stool samples will be collected by the principal investigator using normal routine stool sample collection procedures. Three faecal samples will be taken from each patient at baseline following starting ETF but prior to additional FOS (day 0), during additional FOS (day 6 - 8) and at the end of additional FOS (day 12 - 14).

Intervention type

Supplement

Phase

Not Applicable

Drug names

Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) supplementation

Primary outcome measures

Difference in the colonic microbiota (measured using fluorescent in-situ hybridisation).